Summer Soft
by A.E. Mac
Summary: What happens when the person your love doesn't notice you? Get Notice. Hermione Granger is going into her seventh year at Hogwarts' school of witchcraft and wizardry, what will happen when she goes to the burrow? R/R
1. Author's Note

Summer Soft  
  
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling is the creator and sole owner of the Harry Potter series and characters. This story is nothing more than pure fan fiction. If you have any questions please e-mail me at serenidtygrl@comcast.net  
  
Summary: What happens when the one you love never notices you? Get noticed. Hermione Granger is in her seventh year at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, does she have what it takes to show Ronald Weasley that she sees him as more than just a friend? After a summer of day-dreaming and letter writing, Hermione is asked to come to the Burrow. What could happen when hormones are raging and Hermione's pre-graduation present is on Ron's mind. And what happens when Ron's secret crush is suddenly revealed, will Hermione be able to handle the truth or will she lose what she never had? All these answers and much more in Summer Soft.  
  
Origin of Summer Soft: When I was listening to Stevie Wonder's 'Summer Soft', I was driven to write a story about Ron and Hermione. I took careful look at the lyrics of the song and realized it matched perfectly to the soundtrack of Ron and Hermione's strange relationship. I have provided the lyrics and you can analyze them for yourself:  
  
Summer soft .... Wakes you up with a kiss to start the morning off In the midst of herself playing Santa Claus She brings gifts through her breeze   
  
Morning rain .... Gently plays her rhythmns on your window pane Giving you no clue of when she plans to change To bring rain or sunshine   
  
And so you wait to see what she'll do Is it sun or rain for you But it breaks your heart in two When you find it's October And she's gone And she's gone Summer's gone Taking with her summer's play   
  
Winter wind.... Whispers to you that he wants to be your friend But not waiting for your answer he begins Forcing dangers way with his breeze   
  
Morning snow... Plans to have a winter ball for you to throw But just where or when he never lets you know If it's snow or clear days you'll find   
  
And so you wait to see what he'll do Is it sun or rain for you But it breaks your heart in two Cause you've been fooled by April And he's gone And he's gone Winter's gone   
  
You find it's October And she's gone And she's gone Summer's gone   
  
You've been fooled by April And he's gone And he's gone Winter's gone   
  
You find it's October And she's gone And she's gone Summer's gone   
  
You've been fooled by April And he's gone And he's gone Winter's gone   
  
  
  
Rating: PG-13; for romance and some violence. (c) Characters and setting to J.K. Rowling (c) Plot and writing to A.E. Mac 


	2. Chapter One

Past-time Paradise  
  
Sun crept onto Hermione Granger's face as she stirred on Monday morning. She stood up and walked over to the small window next to her full-size bed. The dew from the daisies below were sparkling, with brilliance. One more week of waking up to daisies. School was about to start. Yet, she was happy, this was her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and she could sense that it was going to be a remarkable year. She was planning on seeing her best friends and highly royal crush. Well, maybe not royal, but to her he seemed like a prince in shinning armor.   
  
She quickly undressed from her purple pajamas and replaced them with a white tank-top and a pair of jean shorts. She looked in her full-length mirror, that hung from her bedroom door, her body had definitely changed during her vacation. Now her pants hugged her hips and you could see her curves from under her tank-top. She was anxious to see how her friends had changed. She could wait though.   
  
She walked down the carpeted stairs in her house quietly as not to wake anyone else. The grandfather clock by the front door chimed six times, it was 6:00 a.m. She couldn't remember the last time she had woken up this early during the time of June 20 and August 13. Otherwise, it seemed refreshing.   
  
The iron skillet was crackling as she moved butter around the edges and the middle. She let it be and watched the butter melt into a yellowish liquid. She cracked an egg and dumped it on the pan, for the first time since June, she picked up her wand from the open draw beside her and bewitched the spatula to flip the eggs over-easy, while she went outside to fetch the morning paper. But, before she could an owl flew onto the window perch outside the bay window across the kitchen. she immediately recognized the owl as belonging to Harry Potter one of her most beloved Best Friends.  
  
She unlocked the main window and pulled it up allowing the owl to soar into the kitchen with ease.   
"Hello, Hedwig, what have you brought from Harry?" Hermione while glancing at the note firmly tied to the owl's right leg. Hermione walked over, but picked up a piece of bread first to give Hedwig. she gave the bread to the owl so that she would be distracted by eating than by Hermione desperately trying to untie the message from her leg.   
  
Finally, after a minute of total concentration she managed to pry the knot open and retrieve the letter. Hedwig had just finished her bread and, noticing she was done, pecked her finger affectionately and flew over to the window, waiting for her to write a response back to the letter.  
  
Hermione opened the note and read it through, an enormous smile spread across her face:  
  
Hermione,  
  
How's your summer going, mine is going fine. I got to leave the Dursley's and come to the Burrow. Ron's here and wants to know if you would like to come early and spend a week here before term starts. Send your decision with Hedwig as soon as you can.   
  
-Harry  
  
hermione was so overjoyed she ran up the stairs again, and opened the door to her parents room and practically jumped onto her mother.   
"Mum, Mum! Wake up, I have great news!" Hermione was shaking her mother with such force her father woke up with her mother.  
"Hermione, what on earth is the matter?" Her father looked her straight in the eye and she knew she was in trouble.  
"Ron and Harry asked me to come to the Burrow." She answered lowering her tone a little.  
"Thats great honey, but can you please let me and your father go back to sleep. This is our only vacation week and we would like to enjoy it." Hermione's mother managed to spit out sleepily.  
"Sorry, but, I need your answer. Can I go? Please!" Hermione was desperately trying to sound sweet and innocent.  
"Sure, honey, just find out where they want to meet, so we can drop you off." Her mother said while closing her eyes again and turning over, having her back face Hermione.  
"Now, Moraine (a/n I do not know Hermione's mom's name I just made it up), I don't think it is a good idea to let our daughter go to a boy's home over the last week in her vacation." Hermione knew exactly what he meant she opened her mouth to protest, but her mother beat her to the words.  
"Dear, Hermione is 17 now, she is responsible enough to know what would happen if she did anything we wouldn't approve of." Her mother had turned over and was looking her straight in the eye as if to see that her daughter was completely comprehending what she was explaining, "Right, Hermione?"   
"Of course, mum. I will be very responsible and good minded. I know what choices to make and which ones not to. And besides it is his parents house." Hermione said this like it was the key thing to say in one of these conversations.   
"See, we can trust our little Hermione!" Her mother sat up and hugged her daughter. Hermione noticed the wink she got from her mother before she managed to wrap her in her lengthy arms.  
"Okay, but I want to meet their parents first." Hermione's father spat at her mother.  
"Oh, dad, it's only Ron's parents, Harry's parents died. You should know that." Hermione laughed.  
"Oh, yes, dear. Sorry, I am still a little tired from a certain, somebody, waking me up." He smiled at her. She smirked back. Her mother let go of her and laid back down.  
"So it's settled, I am going to the Burrow." Hermione burst with joy.   
  
She ran down stairs again, wrote quickly on a napkin that was lying on the kitchen table,   
Harry,  
My parents said Yes! Ask Mrs. Weasley where we can meet, since my house is not connected to the floo network.   
  
-Hermione  
  
She ran over to the draw she had left open and moved some items around before finding a spool of string and scissors. She cut of a small amount and ran over to Hedwig, who seemed aggravated by the time she had to wait for Hermione to get an answer from her parents.   
  
"Sorry, Hedwig, didn't mean to take that long." Hermione told the owl as she wrapped the note around Hedwig's leg which was not extended, as if she was trying to make it more difficult for her, as to pay her back for making her wait.   
  
Hermione finally tied the note tightly and watched as hedwig disappeared east to where the sun was still rising. Hermione walked over to her cold egg that the bewitched spatula managed to flip onto hermione's grandmother's old china, that she was surly to inherit when she got married. She brought the egg over to the table and sat down. She had forgotten a fork, but she didn't care. She wasn't even thinking about eating. How could she? When she was busy thinking about Ronald Weasley, her Prince in Shining Armor. 


	3. Chapter Two

Summer Soft   
Chapter two: Bracelets and hugs  
  
Hermione finished her cold breakfast, very slowly as her mind was somewhere else. When she relieved she had been sitting at her kitchen table for a half an hour, and only managed to take one bite of her eggs, she decided it was time to pack.   
  
She cringed at the sound the chair made when she pushed it back under the table. Leaving her plate on the side of the sink, she looked outside at the sun rising. This was going to be her last time seeing the sun rise in her parents house, this summer, because for the next two weeks she was going to see the sun rise and set, at Ronald Weasley's home.  
  
Walking more slowly than before up the stairs than before, it took her a minute to reach her bedroom at the end of the long hallway. She opened the door to a sun soaked room. that was one of the reasons she picked this room, it was facing east. She originally had her parents, west facing room, but when she was waking up at 9:00 in the morning to a dark room, she was convinced to ask her parents to move.   
  
She went to her closet and opened the sliding doors. Inside were all her school uniforms and some rarely worn party dresses. She took out one of the dresses and stared at it. This particular dress was not like all the other ones, it did not have layers and layers of itchy cloth, to make it seem like she was broad shouldered and had maybe too many curves. This dress was straight and light blue. It had thin straps and sparkled in the light. Her mother had bought it for her, thinking that maybe Hogwarts had a prom. unfortunately there was no prom or dances. Even if there were who would ask her out, she was nothing more than a book worm, a know-it-all, in Ron's words.   
  
She sighed and put the dress back in its place and started to retrieve all of her school uniforms. After pulling all seven outfits out she laid them neatly on her bed and went to get her suitcase when she saw a large figure in her door frame.   
  
"Hi, Dad." Hermione said not looking at him.  
"Hermione, I want to give you something." Her father walked over the thresh-hold of her bedroom and handed her a gold bracelet.   
"Oh my gosh, this is amazing, but why are you giving it to me?" Hermione took the bracelet and was unclasping it to put on her wrist.  
"It was your grandmother's, she gave it to me when I started to date your mother. She told me that I was to give it to my beautiful daughter I was to have. She also said that your mother was the one, and to hold on to her. I took your grandmother's advice and just look what I got, a loving wife, and a beautiful daughter. What more could I ask for?" Tears were swelling up in his eyes. Hermione ran over and hugged her father. For a minute or so they stayed like that. Her father finally let go and walked over to the door, but before he left he turned around and said, "Now, take my advice, give that bracelet to the beautiful daughter you will have, and hold onto that Weasley boy, he is the one." Then he left leaving hermione opened mouthed and gaping, then a wide smile spread across her face. Her father had just given her his blessing.  
  
She finished packing and set the suitcase beside her night-stand. She was so overjoyed that her summer was going as planned. She walked to her parents room and peered in, her mother was fixing her hair in the full-length mirror on the wall and her father was fully dressed, snoring on the bed. She laughed quietly. Her knuckles were about to hit the mid-way closed door when it abruptly opened.   
  
"Oh, hi mum." Hermione said blushing.  
"Hi, dear, did you finish packing?" Her mother walked out into the hallway and closed the door, leaving her father to his mid-morning nap.  
"Of, course. I'm just going to go downstairs, would you like me to make you some eggs and bacon. I made myself some, but umm, didn't finish it, I was just going to start another skillet." Hermione was half-way down the stairs when she heard her mother speak.  
"Hermione, I would like to see you in the study." Hermione turned around and saw her mother walk into the small spare room that Hermione considered her second home. When Hermione reached the door, every single book that used to be in the bookcase at the far left of the room, were now in boxes, several of them.   
"Mum, what happened?" Hermione walked over to sit on the over-stuffed chair in the corner when her mother pulled her into a hug. 'I am definitely having lots of these today.' Hermione thought to herself.  
  
"All of these books are now yours." Her mother let go and held her shoulders, rather tightly.  
"All of them?" Hermione was astonished. Never in her life-time did she ever think once that all the books, that crammed the small study, would end up in her possession.   
"Of course, honey. Your father and I, thought it was best that, instead of the books collecting dust over the years, they could be put into use when you move out." The words 'move out' seemed to activate her mother's tear ducts. Small tears were making their way down her softly powdered cheeks.  
"Mum, don't cry, I will always come to visit, and I promise, I will get your fireplace connected to the Floo network, and I will call. Please don't cry." Hermione was almost crying herself she gave her mother another long hug and then wiped the tears away, "I love you, your my mum." Her mother smiled.  
"Oh, I know, it just seems like just yesterday you were a tiny baby, and me and your father were bringing you home and then you were talking, and walking, and then you were wearing underwear..."   
"Okay, mum, I get the point. Come on lets go make breakfast."   
  
The skillet was already crackling again when Hedwig found herself hooting at the window. Hermione was surprised to see her again, and wondered how she could fly from Hermione's house to Ron's so quickly. She ran over and once again opened the window letting the snow white bird in.   
  
Hermione saw the letter tied to Hedwig's leg. She quickly untied it and let Hedwig go, Hermione had forgotten about giving Hedwig a treat so she refused to leave, but Hermione was so absorbed in the lengthy letter in front of her.  
  
Hermione,  
  
Hi, Mrs. Weasley said, of course, that tomorrow would be fantastic. Also Ron, I mean we would like to know if there was anything that you want particularly for your pre-graduation present? Ron already got his present, the latest firebolt, 'Hermione seemed amazed by this since, Ron's parents were not the richest family.' and I haven't received mine yet, but I don't really care, we want to know what you want. Just send the answer to Hedwig.  
  
-Harry and Ron  
  
Hermione was so excited, but what could she possibly ask for? She didn't want to ask for something that would sound selfish.   
"Mum, Ron and Harry, asked what I wanted for my pre-graduation present, what do you think I should ask for?" Hermione sat down at the table, her mother realized that Hedwig was hooting and crying at the window, waiting for his treat, got her a piece of bread and fed it to her before giving her daughter an answer.  
"Maybe you could ask for Ron?" Her mother laughed.  
"What?! Why would I ask that? He is only my friend." Hermione was redder than Ron's hair, "Where would you get that I like any of my friends?"   
"Well, there is the bracelet you are wearing," Hermione had totally forgotten the bracelet her father had given her only two hours ago. But, she hadn't forgotten what he said, "hold onto that Weasley boy, he is the one." She tried to hide her smile as she played with the bracelet.   
"Then there is the way you look at him, when I first saw him with you at the end of your second year, you had the same goofy love-struck smile I had when I first met your father. I know you like him." Her mother walked over and her the plate of eggs and bacon that had been sizzling on the stove-top just a couple of seconds ago.   
"Well, what if I do. it's not a crime!" Hermione now stopped playing with the bracelet and was now staring at her mother's chilling smiling face.  
"I know, so what do you really want?" Hermione's mother had turned her back to her daughter and was now cooking two eggs and three bacon strips.  
"I don't know, that's why I asked you." Hermione face was stuffed with eggs and her mother had trouble hearing the last few words, which was good for Hermione, because to her mother that was sarcasm and it wasn't tolerated in her household.  
"Why don't you ask for a prom?" Hermione's mother turned around and was smiling even wider than before.   
"A prom, I don't think so, They don't even know what a prom is." Hermione was staring at her half-eaten eggs.  
"Harry does, at least he should. Ask Harry to explain and then they can plan everything. Then you can wear that beautiful dress I bought you." Her face lit up.  
"I don't know, I could. I should. Yeah, I think I will." Hermione got up took a piece of parchment from the desk by the back door and a quill. She quickly scratched down her answer and tied it to Hedwig's leg, gave her another piece of bread and then watched her fly away, again.  
  
"I hope this works." 


	4. Chapter 3

Summer Soft Chapter Three: loverwuddles pill  
  
"Hermione Granger, wake up now!" Her mother screamed from the foot of the stairs.  
  
Hermione stirred in her once neat bed, now it was all piles of sheets and her comforter had some  
  
how made its way to becoming her pillow, "Hermione! You have three minutes to get up and  
  
dressed before we leave for Diagon Alley!" Hermione opened her eyes and looked at her alarm  
  
clock.  
  
'It was supposed to go off three hours ago!' Hermione thought this as she ran to her  
  
dresser and picked out a pair of shorts and a tank top. She managed to get them on and then  
  
almost tripped down the stairs while trying to cox her hair into staying a tight bun on her head.  
  
"Lets go, come on, we are already late!" Hermione's mother seemed to be having the  
  
same problem with her hair, "Well, that's as good as it's going to get. Hermione run to the car  
  
and put this in the trunk, your father's already there." Hermione rushed outside, told her father to  
  
pop the trunk and practically thru her suitcase in it. She quickly closed it ran to the back-door of  
  
the house, and pulled her mother out of the house, then ran to the car opened the door and  
  
climbed in.  
  
"Diagon Alley, here we come." Her father pulled out of the drive-way and drove down  
  
the road. Hermione was watching intently when she had a sudden urge to fall asleep.  
  
'No, I have to stay up.' Hermione told herself this three times before drifting off to a  
  
deep, deep sleep. Hermione woke up a half an hour later, in front of the Leaky Cauldron. She  
  
then suddenly saw Ron and Harry running to her. Ron had definitely grown. He was now more  
  
muscular and Harry seemed to be the same as last year, except he was getting a 5:00 o'clock  
  
shadow.  
  
"Hi Ron, Hi Harry!" Hermione was so happy to see both of them, especially Ron.  
  
"Hi Hermione, you have certainly grown." Ron was looking her up and down.  
  
"Yeah, Hermione, watch out Hogwarts' guys, Hermione Granger is back!" Hermione  
  
laughed, Harry has definitely not changed.  
  
"Hermione look we got you a drink, from a new shop down near Florish and Botts.  
  
Here." Fred and George ran over and handed hermione a lemonade.  
  
"thank you." She took a sip and she felt total and utter peace. She actually felt like she  
  
was dreaming, and all she could dream about was Ronald Weasley.  
  
"Ron? Ron, where are you." Hermione was saying this over and over. She was  
  
surrounded by white walls, white tiled floors, a white ceiling. Nothing was in the room besides  
  
her and a white rocking chair on the side of the room. She walked around the walls looking for  
  
doors or masked openings. Once she had gone around once she had not found one opening, just  
  
walls, "Ron?" Then she thought to herself, 'Why am I calling for Ron, where are my parents?'  
  
She tried to call for her parents but all that came out was, "Ron?"  
  
"Ron? Ron? Ron where are you, Ron?"  
  
"Hermione, I'm right here." She suddenly saw light and colors and then Ronald  
  
Weasley's smiling face, "You were dreaming."  
  
"And talking too, 'Ron? Ron? Ron, where are you, Ron.' It was so romantic." George  
  
laughed practically in Hermione's drowsy expression.  
  
"Oh my gosh," Hermione looked around her, she was lying on Ginny Weasley's bed, "I  
  
am so embarrassed." She settled her head into her hands as she sat up, "Wait, how did I get  
  
here?"  
  
"You don't remember?" Fred pushed his twin brother, George out of the way and started  
  
to tell hermione everything that had happened only two hours ago.  
  
"We met your mum and dad in Florish and Botts, you were still very tired, they said you  
  
had fallen asleep on the drive here. Then you started to look at Ron really funny." George  
  
Interrupted with the words Hermione cringed at, "Like you were in 'Love'" George and Fred  
  
laughed so hard they started to gag on the word, "love, Love, Love"  
  
"Then we came here. you said you were tired and then went to bed." Ron said trying to  
  
talk over George and Fred's laughter.  
  
"Okay, everybody out, this is my room." Ginny turned up in the doorway and every  
  
single man walked out, they looked seemingly afraid. After they all left, Hermione was left, on  
  
the bed, tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"Why did I act like a total dunce and why can't I remember anything?" Hermione was  
  
looking at Ginny intensively.  
  
"Well, Fred and George, left out one minor detail. They gave you a drink from a new  
  
shop near Florish and Botts. They snuck a loverwuddles pill in your drink. It's new, they just  
  
made it up for their Joke Shop. The first person you lay eyes on after taking the pill, you fall  
  
under a love spell for two hours."  
  
"Oh my gosh. Ron must think I am a total idiot." Hermione put her head in her hands  
  
again and just stared at the wooden floor.  
  
"Actually, he seemed to like it." Ginny admitted smiling at the reaction she got from  
  
Hermione, "You like him don't you?"  
  
"What? What, are you talking about. I don't like anybody especially your brother."  
  
Hermione was blushing, but was desperately trying to stop.  
  
"Okay, whatever you say, Hermione. Mum, is making supper she said to send you  
  
down when you get settled." Ginny then stood up and walked out of the room, leaving  
  
Hermione with a confused look plastered on her face.  
  
"I am going to definitely have to pour my own drinks from now on." Hermione stood up  
  
and walked over to her suitcase opened it and started to unpack everything into the extra draw  
  
that Ginny had cleaned out for Her. After she was done she walked cautiously down the stairs  
  
and found herself staring at every single Weasley face sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her  
  
to come and join them.  
  
"Took you long enough, I was about to start eating without you." Ginny said winking at her.  
  
"Sorry, I had a lot of things to unpack." Hermione took her seat and like it was a signal  
  
that a war was over, everybody dug into the feast that lay before them.  
  
"Drink, Hermione?" Fred asked offering her a cup filled to the rim with pumpkin juice.  
  
"Umm, No thanks, I'm not that thirsty." Hermione was looking at the cup and trying to  
  
figure out if there was any loverwuddles pills in it.  
  
"So, Hermione dear, how has your summer been going?" Mrs. Weasley asked before  
  
stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth.  
  
"fine, just been reading and doing all my summer homework." Hermione helped herself  
  
to some turkey and corn.  
  
"Did you finish?" Ron asked. She knew why he would be asking this, he hadn't finished  
  
his yet.  
  
"what do you think?" Hermione giggled. A smile spread across his face.  
  
"Oh, Hermione, we got your letter about your pre-graduation present. No Problem. I told  
  
everyone about what a prom is and they all agreed to have one. Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, you,  
  
and I, are going to have to invite people. We only have two weeks before school starts." Harry  
  
was talking more to his mashed potatoes than to Hermione, she then realized why. Ginny was  
  
looking at him.  
"That's great Harry, thanks a lot." Then as silence fell Hermione thought to herself, 'I  
  
guess I'm not the only one in love.'  
  
Sorry for not updating in a while, I have just been really busy. Please don't kill me. R/R 


End file.
